Free to Love
by sg1septima
Summary: After the wedding and beyond. Possibly a series? Clarisse and Joe obviously. Yes there will be lovings. I've been sitting on this story since about 2010 and finally decided to get it down on the computer. Hope y'all like it. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: Princess Diaries does not belong to me. And I'm not making money off of it._

"Wahoo" Mia yelled as Joseph and Clarisse pulled out of their kiss and turned to face he crowded church. Joseph stood stoically as usual, and Clarisse tried to hold back the smile that was growing on her face. She let out a deep breath and relaxed. Joseph took her hand and looked at her.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm wonderful," she replied and smiled at him.

"Let's go." He starts to lead her back down the aisle of the church, people still cheering. The palace staff being extra loud now that they knew these two wouldn't be pulled apart any longer. Mia and Lilly followed out of the church behind them.

Viscount Mabrey had been hauled away by the royal guard as he chased his nephew from the church. Joseph had the incredible urge to break his nose for all the drama he caused his now wife and granddaughter.

Shades had already called the carriage to the front of the church for the Queen and her new husband. Mia would take the limo back to the palace with Lilly, Charlotte, and the rest of the family.

They stepped out of the church and were greeted by the cheering crowds on the street, waving flags, singing, and all around happy for their Queen. Joseph took his wife's hand and helped her into the carriage, then sat down next to her inside. Two guards mounted the back and soon the carriage was moving, on it's way back to the palace for the reception.

The people that lined the streets started to thin out as they drew farther out of the city and closer to the palace. The couple continued to wave until people stopped lining the roads. Joseph continued to hold her hand. He turned to her and brought his hand up to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss to the back of it. She turned to him, a small smile on her face. Her free hand came up to cup his cheek. His other hand did the same to her. They looked into each others eyes and he pulled her face to his and kissed her, full of the passion and fire he wanted to give her back at the church. Their arms wrapped around each other, pulling each other as close as they could.

They had shared many softer kisses before, but never any like this. Never had they gotten lost in the passion that burned between them. Clarissa had never felt anything like this before. Rupert was never a very romantic person towards her, he could never ignite the passionate fire that Joseph had lit in her. After so long, Clarisse had denied his advances. Occasionally allowing him to kiss her on the hand or cheek, but never more than that.

They broke the kiss, their breathing labored, chests heaving, and adrenaline pumping. Joseph leaned his forehead against hers, their noses touching. "That night when you were looking at the table settings…" Joseph started. Clarissa opened her eyes and focused her gaze on him. "I knew I was setting myself up for disappointment. I knew it would all come down to that conversation. I knew in my heart what you would say and I felt my heart break even before I saw you dancing." Tears had started in her eyes, as well as his. Her eye makeup starting to smear, he wiped a tear off her cheek. "But everything is fine now, we are married, that's all that counts now."

"My heart broke as well." She said, her face buried in his shoulder. "I thought that you didn't want me, and that you finally had enough. I thought that I lost my best friend, and the only man I've ever loved, and that after today, I would never see you again."

"I am so sorry darling, I never meant to harm you. I love you…I always have and I always will. I wouldn't have married you today if I didn't mean it and want to spend the rest of my life with you."

A small smile started to form on her face from the wonderful words he just said.

"I love to see you smile." he stated with a smile of his own. She took his face between her hands and kissed him soundly and deeply.

"I love you." She stated. "And nothing will ever change that…we are finally free to love each other. And I will never let you go ever again." She kissed him again, and snuggled further into his chest. It had been quite a while since she had felt him this way, so close and open to each others love and touch.

Joseph spotted the familiar landscape that surrounded the palace. 'Here my dear." He pulled a hand mirror out of the side pocket in the carriage door. "We are near the palace, and I'm sure the press will be clamoring for a picture. Best we look presentable."

"Thank you" She took the mirror and the hanker chief he offered, easily wiping away the tears and fixing her running mascara and eye liner.

They arrived at the palace, the large gate swung open and they rolled to a stop in front of the steps. Cameras flashing and questions being thrown left and right. Joseph got out first and extended his hand for his new wife to take. She stepped out and paused next to him to pause for a few photos. Soon they started up the stairs into the palace, many reporters trying to follow and shouting questions for the newlyweds. Joseph stood by her side and held her hand tightly as they made their way inside.

 _~Please R &R. Any questions, comments, concerns. What do y'all thing? Thanks -S~_


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Princess Diaries does not belong to me. And I'm not making money off of it._

A barricade of guards stood at the door, splitting to let the couple pass, then repositioning to keep the press out.

Mia had changed and was waiting in the foyer for them.

"Congratulations" Mia states with a huge smile on her face. "I need to steal her for a bit." She quickly grabbed her grandmothers hand and drug her off to the private wing of the palace, leaving Joseph standing there wondering what he should be doing.

Mia drug her grandmother all the way up to the queen's suite and right into the dressing room. "OK Grandma, we need to get you changed into something more…bride." She immediately started rummaging in her grandmother's closet. The dress that had been preselected for the reception was on the dress figure in the corner of the room. Thinking now, she definitely agreed with Mia. The dark green and gold color palette that matched her wedding outfit was more grandmother of the bride, not bride.

Clarisse noticed a rolling rack full of black garment bags that typically wasn't present in her dressing room. Curious she pulled the zipper down on one of the bags, and noticed a black tuxedo inside. She knew instantly it was Joseph's and smiled ear to ear. That was when she noticed the other scattered boxes and dress racks in the room. The staff had already started moving his belongings in with hers.

At that moment it really hit her, that they were married. And they wouldn't be in separate suites as in her first marriage. They would live together, merge objects and lives. Share personal spaces, bedroom, living room, dressing room, and bathroom. It was a dream come true at last.

"Oh Grandma, what about this?" Clarisse turned to Mia who held a beautiful white gown with a large smile on her face. She remembered the gown from a Christmas function a couple years back. It had been placed in the back of her closet and forgotten. 'Try it on, see how it looks."

Trying the dress on she found it still get remarkably well. She stood in front of the floor the ceiling mirror and admired how well it still fit. 'Oh Grandma" Mia said from the doorway. 'That is beautiful, it's perfect. Ok now for makeup and jewelry." Clarisse went over to her vanity table while Mia started digging through her grandmother's extensive jewelry boxes.

Mia quickly found what she was looking for. A simple diamond necklace with machine earrings. "Here we go, how about these?" she held he necklace up for Clarisse to see. That necklace was especially special to her. It was one of the last gifts Phillipe had ever given to her, and she loved them dearly. Even if Phillipe couldn't physically be there that day, she knew he was there in spirit, and she would carry a piece of him with her today.

"Those are perfect." Clarisse smiled. "Why don't you go downstairs and start greeting our guests. I will be down soon."

"Sure Grandma. I love you, and I'm so happy for you." Mia kissed her grandmother's cheek then left the suite.

Joseph, after watching Mia drag Clarisse off to change, made his way to his room, soon to be former room, in the staff wing of the palace. He quickly made his way down to the bottom of the palace, past the kitchen and to the security hub. On his way he ran into Olivia.

"Olivia," he said. "I was wondering if you could do something for me."

"Of course Joe, no problem. What do you need?" She smiled at him.

"I was thinking maybe that you and Pricilla could do some decorating for me. Candles, roses, wine, maybe stuff for a bath…" Joseph felt embarrassed asking his wife's maid and former coworker to arrange some romance for them.

"No problem Joe. Charlotte and the Princess called ahead, it will be all prepared and ready when you leave the reception." Olivia smiled at him. "Congrats by the way," she said as she walked away.

He made it to the security hub, where he found Shades going over the perimeter camera feeds. "Shades, I need you to make sure that–"

"Already done. I've posted extra guards at every palace entrance and the front gate. I also have men on patrol in the gardens and around the private wing of the palace. There will be guards sweeping the grounds through the night for any eager photographers or press." Shades smiled.

"And the cameras in the Queen's suite?" Joseph was almost too embarrassed to ask. He didn't want his wedding night on display for all the security boys to see.

"Will be turned off tonight before you leave the reception." Joseph sighed in relief

"Thank you, I appreciate any privacy you can give us."

"You deserve it Joe. And of all things that are on display in this palace, your wedding night should not be one of them. I'm taking the night shift to make sure no one touches that monitor. We will figure out the transfer of power and all the paperwork later. Just enjoy the time you have together."

"I can't thank you enough for the small bit of privacy you have given us. Now I remember why I gave you the job." Joseph joked.

"Haha, very funny. Now go to your bride." Joseph laughed and left Shades to continue down the hallway to his room. He entered and right away saw boxes in the sitting area. He realized that some of the staff had started packing his stuff. He assumed some of it was already in his new suite as his closet was severally empty. It also looks like his robe and pajamas had been moved as well.

One thing that they haven't moved yet was his safe, and that meant the ring was still there. Opening the safe and shifting the papers aside, he found the small box in the back corner. He prayed that she loved the ring. It was a simple yellow gold ring with one diamond. It had simple filigree decorating the band. He hoped the most that she would like the stone. She was used to wearing very flashy pieces usually with much bigger and even multiple stones. But this piece had been his mother's engagement ring. His father worked very hard to buy his mother that ring.

When they had gotten married he couldn't afford one. But he vowed to one day give her one. And on their first anniversary, he presented her with the ring. The ring represented the almost 50 years of love his parents had, and hopefully the many years of love between Joseph and his new wife.

~ _Please R &R. One of the things I'm gonna run with in the story is Joe's humble beginnings. I wanted him to be a person that has worked hard for what he has and is proud of it. I got another twist to his story in the works. Unfortunatly I can't post a link for the ring, I've tried like five times. The ring is from "Joseph Jewelry" How ironic. If you want to see more go to and search item #102767. I will also post a picture of the ring as the profile ficture for this story._ _-S~_


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Princess Diaries does not belong to me. And I'm not making money off of it._

Joe made his way back to the entryway of the ballroom to wait for Clarisse to return and make their entrance to the reception. Mia was already dressed and waiting when he got there.

"You called ahead?" Joe asked Mia

"Maybe." Mia said sheepishly.

"Mia?" Joe stared her down.

"OK, yes I called ahead. Maybe I wanted you two to have a romantic night. Maybe I wanted you to be happy and in love. You both have been stuck in the shadows for so long, you two of all people deserve this more than anyone else."

"OK, I get the point. It was very thoughtful, thank you. So how does it feel not being married?"

"Pretty sweet. Not only am I not married, I changed a really old, almost archaic law that would have prevented me from becoming queen. I stood up to those stubborn old men and told them I wouldn't do it. I still can't wrap my mind around what happened."

"Just proves Lilly is right, you have the power to make change, and make people listen. If you can conquer this, you should be able to handle being queen quite splendidly." Joe smiled.

"Thanks Grandpa."

"Grandpa?" Joe was perplexed

"Yes, you married my grandmother, that makes you my grandfather. And I know you are gonna be an awesome grandfather." Mia pulled Joe into a hug.

Looking over Joe's shoulder, Mia heard the familiar click of heels on the marble floor and saw her grandmother come around the corner and stop. Mia pulled out of the hug. "I think, I'll leave you two alone, and go do…something else." She said, smiled, then hastened out of the room.

Joseph looked over his shoulder, seeing his wife standing there. He turned fully to face her, his jaw almost going slack and his eyes glazed over. There in the room stood an angel, his love, his wife. "So beautiful." he whispered. He remembered the dress from the previous time she had worn it. It had beautiful Genovian lace and crystals covering the bodice with a high neckline and cap lace sleeves that covered her shoulders. The A-line dress brushed the floor as she moved towards Joseph. He immediately took her in his arms and kissing her with passion that has been brewing in him all day.

She responded in kind, her hands running over his neck and shoulders. They eventually broke apart for air, their foreheads resting against each other. "How I wish I could whisk you away right now." Joseph said, dropping a kiss to her shoulder.

"How I wish you could too. But unfortunately we have a dinner to sit through, a cake to cut, and many people to dance with. The second we can excuse ourselves, I guarantee we will."

"Good, but before we go in, I have one thing to do." He fished the ring box out of his pocket and got down on one knee. "And don't worry about my knees, they are fine. I didn't do this the first time and I regret it. But now, I want to do this the right way and ask you properly." Clarisse knew what he was going to do, she just didn't expect him to have a ring. He took the ring from the box and took her hand in his. "Darling, I know we have already done the marriage bit, but I wanted to ask you anyway. Clarisse, my love…will you marry me?"

"Oh Joseph, yes, of course." This time she did not hesitate to accept his proposal. She watched as he slid the ring on her finger and stood up. She looked at the ring, admiring the beauty.

"If you don't like it, I can always change the stone, make it bigger…or add something to it—" Clarisse interrupted him.

"It's perfect as it is. It's beautiful and I love it. And it fits perfectly. Although the one from the church seems a tad bit tight, we may have to get it resized." She proceeded to take the rings off her finger to inspect the band that they had been given at the church.

"If I remember correctly…" Joseph took the gold band and looked in the inside of the ring. "Yes, there it is. Just as I thought, this ring is in Mia's size. That's why it's snug." He held the ring for her to look at the inside, where she saw "Amelia & Andrew" engraved. "I guess one good thing about having the wrong ring is, I get to take you ring shopping." He gently took her face in his hands and kissed her again.

Joseph hoped he could make it through the reception without ravaging her against the nearest wall. And Clarisse hoped she could make it through the reception without giving in and letting him ravage her against the nearest wall.

"When are we supposed to make our entrance?" Joseph asked

"I believe after Mia, but I don't think she has gone in yet."

"Ok, so what is all going to be involved for us to do?"

"I believe we will make our entrance, we will mingle a bit. Then I believe dinner will be served. Then I assume a speech or two will be made, they always are, and cake. Then I assume dancing will take place. And if all goes to plan, we will be leaving the reception for the privacy of the suite soon after that."

"I can't wait, sounds like heaven already. I must admit I am a bit scared. What if I screw something up? What if I don't follow the protocol properly? I'm not just your guard anymore, I'm your husband." Clarisse pulled her husband into a hug.

"Please don't worry about that. It doesn't matter what all those stodgy old men and cranky women think of you. You are my husband, we are equals now. And I know what your thinking. It doesn't matter that I married into royalty. My blood is common, like yours, and those people have no right to belittle you in any way. There will be some people who will be opposed to us getting married, and some things that may be said could be hurtful. But know that I am here for you. And you will be standing beside me from now on."

"Ahem." Mia cleared there throat. "Is it safe to come back in now?" Mia asked. Clarisse sighed and chuckled. Charlotte and Shades followed behind.

"Yes Mia, you can come in." she said.

"Are we ready to go in? I believe everyone is waiting." Mia smiles. Clarisse looked at Joe.

"Yes," he said. "I believe we are." He smiled at his wife.

Mia took her position in front of the doors. She nodded to announcer. And with a couple thumps of the staff, and the door opening, Mia made her way into the ballroom.

The crowd bowed to the princess as she came into the ballroom. The champagne was already flowing and Mia immediately grabbed a glass from a nearby waiter. After speaking with Sebastian for a few moments, she positioned herself near the doors of the ball room. She indicated to the announcer, and the staff thumped.

"Greetings good friends." Mia started. "I am delighted that you all could join us here this evening. Even though the events of today did not go as planned, they are still the reason we celebrate tonight. Tonight we not only gather to celebrate a marriage, but we gather to celebrate love. Tonight we celebrate Joseph and Clarisse."

Mia turned to face the doors, as the staff thumped and the announcement was made. "Presenting, Her Majesty, Queen Clarisse Renaldi Elizondo, and her husband, Joesph Elizondo, Prince Consort." The doors opened, and her grandparents made their way into the ballroom.

 _~Please RR. Sorry it took me so long to post. In the process of putting the story into the computer, I've been switching some scenes around and rewriting some others. And also my handwriting is crap so my own writing is kind of a pain in the back side. Let me know what Y'all think. Thanks. -S~_


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Princess Diaries does not belong to me. And I'm not making money off of it._

As the reception wore on, Joseph had relaxed a bit, getting more comfortable with his new surroundings. He found that many of the parliamentarians respected him as Clarisse's husband, and some even admitted to wondering when he would finally snatch her up. There were always some who did not see him very favorably, those being cronies of either Arthur Mabrey or Rupert. These were the men who were always after Clarisse, and Joseph was more than happy now to put them in their place, now that his marriage made him higher on the social ladder, and the diplomatic immunity doesn't help either.

After greeting guests, dinner was announced and Joseph and Clarisse took their seats at the head table.

"Are you doing alright darling?" Clarisse asked. This was his first formal occasion as a member of the royal family and she was worried he was overwhelmed.

"I'm fine. It's a little easier now that I know most of these people like me. I must confess, I still can't wrap my mind around what has happened."

"I can't either," she admitted. "I honestly don't know if i'll ever get over it." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "And I don't think I ever want to," she whispered into his ear. A small smile graced his face and he hoped he hadn't blushed, for the other table occupants were sure to have noticed.

"I don't know how much longer I can sit her and resist taking you away from here. I'm finally allowed to have you for myself and I can't because we have a cake to cut and people to interact with" She chuckled at that last statement.

"I want more than anything for you to take me away, and I hate that we have to stay." She admitted. "I promise you my husband, as soon as we can make a run for it, we most definitely will." She brought her mouth to his ear and whispered. "Tonight we will finally be together, mind, body, and soul"

"Don't tempt me woman." He resisted the urge to kiss her as most people were watching. She let out a small chuckle, having a bit of fun watching him stay all bottled up.

Soon the first course of the meal was put in front of them and they started in. Joseph hadn't realized how hungry he was until he smelled the food. He remembered not having breakfast that morning and not eating since the previous night.

The meal portion of the evening went faster than Joseph thought. He spent much of the meal making pleasant conversation with his wife and table mates which consisted of Mia, Lilly, Pierre, Helen, Patrick, Sebastian, Sheila, and Charlotte. He was always used to standing behind Clarisse's chair or against the back wall at these types of functions. It was different and nice sitting next to her. Clarisse always insisted he walk beside her as an equal, not two steps behind like a servant.

As the waiters began to clear away the first course, Clarisse got up from her seat and took Joseph to mingle more with guests they hadn't talked to yet. As they worked to the other side of the ballroom, Mia decided to put her plan into action.

"Alright people, let's go." Mia, Lilly, Charlotte, and Sheila hopped up from the table and scurried out of the ballroom and up to the queen's suite. The group met Olivia and Pricilla at the door with carts of food, candles, and other essential items. All quickly rushed inside. "Alright people, we gotta do this fast." Mia said. Everyone chipped in to help. Olivia and Sheila quicker changed the bed linens from the standard silk cream to a romantic dark red. Pricilla started preparing the bathroom with Mia, setting candles along the edges of the large jacuzzi tub along with Clarisse's favorite bath oil and beautiful red rose petals. Charlotte and Lilly were in the living room, placing candles and trays of fruits and chocolates.

When Olivia had finished, she had gone into the dressing room and found Clarisse's fanciest silk nightgown. She placed it on the bed with the matching robe. "Here," Mia said coming from the dressing room. "I found Joe's too." His pajamas and robe were placed on the bed next to hers. Everyone gathered back in the sitting area. Pricilla had finished with her task and started working on building a fire.

"Everything looks amazing in here. Thank you all so much for helping make this special for them." Mia praised the ladies. "Ok so what about the champagne and other food?" Mia asked.

"We will have the other food shortly after dinner is done being served. They will have each a main course and a piece of cake. They will be brought up shortly before they get here, along with the champagne." Olivia said, than continued, "Charlotte will notify us when they are leaving the reception."

"And what about the candles?" Mia asked

"Joe is going to take care of that stuff when time comes." Olivia said and smiled

"Thank you all again for helping." All the ladies smiled.

"We all want them to have the best, they deserve it." Sheila said. The other ladies agreed and left the suite, making their way back downstairs.

As the four women reentered the ballroom and sat down, Clarisse and Joesph were already back at the table. "Where have you all been?" Clarisse asked, knowing well that they were up to something.

"Nowhere." Mia said nonchalantly. Clarisse looked at Charlotte, knowing full well Charlotte sucked at lying.

"Nowhere." Charlotte said, looking down at the food on her plate.

"Charlotte?" Clarisse asked, more sternly. As Charlotte opened her mouth to talk, Mia interrupted

"Charlotte don't say a word." Mia stated, Charlotte immediately closed her mouth and looked back to her plate.

"Joseph do you know what these ladies were up to?" Clarisse was fishing, and Joseph knew it.

"They were doing something for me darling. Just trust me." He kissed her gently on the cheek.

"With my life." She responded, kissing him on the lips. Not letting it go too far, she pulled back and smiled at him. Soon Sebastian stood up, acquiring the whole ballrooms attention.

"Everyone," he started. "Such a joyous day, even though it may not have gone as planned." He looked at Mia and smiled. "But today, two people that have waited many, many, years are finally together. There are many years of friendship between these two, lots of trust, comfort, and love. Both of these people have dedicated their lives to service for our great country, and deserve to have happiness at last." Sebastian paused to look at Clarisse and Joseph who were clearly blushing and slightly embarrassed at Sebastian statements. "To Queen Clarisse and Joseph. May they live forever in love and happiness." Sebastian finished and everyone toasted. After Sebastian sat down, Mia stood up.

"I know this isn't really my place to make a speech but I wanted to. I know that we all came together to celebrate a different marriage, but, in my opinion, the marriage that happened today, is a much more cause for celebration than anything else that could have happened today. As the Prime Minister stated, you two of all people deserve this happiness. So much has been sacrificed to get to where you are today." Mia turned to her grandmother. "Grandma, I admire you so much. Everything you have done for me, and everyone else has shown what a heart you do have. You have had faith in me from day one. You have continually loved me, despite what i have done and what has happened over the years. I just hope I can be even half the queen you are, because you are the absolute best." Clarisse was doing her absolute best not to burst into tears at her granddaughter's words.

"And Joe," she continued. "You are amazing, no doubt. Your loyalty to friendship has been loved by not just Grandma and myself, but by the palace staff and friends. Since the day I met you, you have stuck by my side, chasing after me, giving me advice, being a shoulder to cry on, and someone to confide in. You have looked out for me in ways no one else has. You have been as good as a father to me since I found out who I really was. And I am very proud to now be able to call you my grandfather." Joe couldn't help but smile, and Clarisse swore she saw him shed a tear at one point.

"To Clarisse and Joe," Mia raised her glass. "And toast to a long, happy, love filled, marriage." Mia couldn't help it, she immediately went over to hug her grandmother and new grandfather. As everyone got back to their meals, Joseph spoke to his wife.

"Have I really had that much impact on her life?" he asked.

"Oh yes, you were always there for her, also for me, and my boys. You once told me it was the little things that counted the most. And you must definitely did a lot of little things for all of us. There was one time I remember Phillipe telling me you were more of a father to him than Rupert ever was. You taught him so many things, how to drive, swim, sports, camping, hunting, fishing, and about girls too if I remember. He loved it and he loved you for it. And I love you for it."

"Seeing those boys happy made you happy, and in turn made me happy." he admitted. "I love you."

"I love you too." She kissed him again. She thought of how much it sucked that they were in public, she wanted more than anything right now to be alone with her husband. Then she could kiss him the way she wanted to.

Soon the cake was cut, Clarisse holding the knife in her hand with Joseph's placed on top to steady hers. Both having huge smiles on their faces as guests watched. Mia insisted that they feed each other the cake, which they did much to both Clarisse and Joe's embarrassment.

After the cake was taken away to be cut and distributed, the dancing had started. The reception consisted of a classic string quartet, which Clarisse insisted, and a DJ, which Mia insisted. The quartet started out playing a beautiful waltz for the first dance. Joseph had no problem twirling Clarisse around the ballroom and holding her around the waist like he always wanted to hold her. Her face lay gently on his chest as the song slowed to a more sedate pace. As the dance finished, Joesph gently lifted her chin and kissed her on the lips for all to see. The couple pulled away as they heard almost the whole ballroom awe in admiration at the love they shared.

Joesph led his wife back to their seats at the table. He still held both her hands in his. "Would you like to go upstairs now?" She asked smiling.

"I would love to. More than anything." He responded. He quickly scanned the room looking for the fastest exit from the ballroom. He saw the open door at the side of the ballroom that led outside to the terrace. "Come with me, we must hurry before they see us." He quickly pulled her up from the chair and all but ran out the door.

Mia, Charlotte, Sheila, and Lilly had all cast themselves as lookouts to spot the couple leaving. All four women had seen Joseph pull Clarisse from her chair and out of the ballroom.

"Charlotte." Mia said

"I'm way ahead of you." Charlotte has already had her cellphone to her ear and the call placed before the other ladies got to her. "They just left" She told Olivia and hung up with a smile on her face. All four ladies were graced with smiles as they knew what was going to happen in the palace tonight.

 _~Please R &R. Sorry this took me a freakishly long time. I've rewritten these scenes a number of times and I think these are the best versions. Please let me know what y'all think. I'm already working on chapter 5. Thanks -S~_


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: Princess Diaries does not belong to me. And I'm not making money off of it._

Clarisse and Joseph successfully made their way out of the ballroom without anyone stopping them. Once out on the terrace, Joseph quickly pulled his new wife down the steps off the terrace to the lower parts of the palace.

Once they were out of sight of the ballroom windows, Joseph pulled Clarisse to him and kissed her. He could feel the heat radiating off his bride as he pushed her back into the cool stone of the castle wall. The contrast of the cool stone to Joseph's hot touch made Clarisse moan as the pleasure started to build. Hands had started to roam, Joseph's hands running up and down her sides, getting dangerously close to caressing her breasts, and her hands under his tuxedo jacket.

"Not here." she pulled away from the kiss panting. "Come on." She took his hand and they started into the palace and the nearest passageway. The passageway came out right down the hall from the their suite. As they approached Joseph stopped her from going in. He quickly opened the suite door, and promptly scooped his wife up into his arms and walked in.

"I decided earlier that I am determined to carry my bride over the threshold. And I don't give a damn about my knees right now if you're wondering." She couldn't help but laugh as her husband carried her into the suite and promptly put her back on her feet before quickly closing and locking the suite door.

Clarisse realized that now she was able to lock her door. And with Joseph now living with her, hopefully the presence of guards outside her door would be diminished as well. With that thought, butterflies started to flutter in Clarisse's stomach. She knew she shouldn't be nervous, but knowing that her and Joseph were finally allowed to be alone, and that they would be fully together tonight, made her worried. She worried the most about her looks. Would he find her attractive once he saw what was underneath the fancy jeweled ballgowns and silk blouses? Would he find her stomach not tone enough? Her breasts not perky enough? Would in a couple of years he find a younger woman to warm his bed?

Joseph turned back from the door to see her standing with her back to him. He walked to her, gently placing his hand on the small of her back causing her to jump.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think it would make you jump." he said.

"It's alright." she said, looking down at the floor. He could read her well, he knew she was nervous.

"Darling come and sit with me." he said as he took her hand and guided her over to the couch. He proceeded to open the bottle of champagne and poured two glasses. "Darling I know you well. I know you are nervous."

"Since we came into the suite and I realized that we were truly alone, some things have come to the forefront of my mind that I just can't shake."

"Do you trust me enough to tell me?" he asked.

"I trust you completely, but I feel you may think differently of me."

"I will never think differently of you. Will you please share with me?" Clarissa let out a sigh before speaking.

"I fear…that you may not like what's under the ballgowns, that you may not be pleased by my level of…experience. I fear that I won't be the wife you want. I fear I will disappoint you."

"You could never disappoint me. You never have and you never will." He pulled her closer before continuing. "I have my own insecurities too." He said into her hair. "I fear that…after a while you will get bored of me. I fear that I won't be the husband you want. I fear that…," he thought about how to put this as delicately as possible, "that…my body…won't work the way either of us want it to."

It took a little while for it to dawn on her what he was saying. He was afraid he couldn't perform. "I'm not as young as I once was." he said. "Things don't work as they used to." Clarisse placed her head on his shoulder.

"I will never be bored of you. I want a life with you. I wouldn't have married you if I had any doubt at all. Our life together is anything but normal, but we will make the best of it." She kissed his cheek. "Speaking of our lives together, have you called them yet?"

"No I haven't. I probably should, they should hear it from me and not the evening news." He stood up from the couch, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. "What do I say to them?"

"The truth I'd assume. It would be better if they heard it from their own father." She said. He had started pacing in front of the fire place. "Come sit." She held her hand out, he took it and sat back down on the couch. He punched a number into his cell phone, took a deep breath, then pressed the send button.

 _~Please R &R. Any questions, comments, concerns. What do y'all thing? The fluff is on the way, don't worry people. -S~_


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: Princess Diaries does not belong to me. And I'm not making money off of it._

Meanwhile in the USA…

Abigail Elizondo known by many as Abby, stood at the stove of her twin brother Michael's house, stirring a pot of red sauce. Her long dark hair pulled back into a pony tail and an apron around her neck.

"Michael?" Abigail shouted.

"Yeah?" He replied from the other room

"What time is Charlie coming?" She asked about her other brother. Michael came into the kitchen and sat down at the counter.

"He shouldn't be too much longer." He replied. "We've been doing this for years, I highly doubt he'd forget now." The Elizondo triplets got together every Sunday for lunch. It had been a weekly event the three siblings started when they had all moved out on their own, and had continued every Sunday for over 15 years.

"Is it still on the news." Abby asked.

"Yes." Michael took off his glasses and started to rub his eyes, then ran his hands through his medium length dark brown hair "It's everywhere, national and international news are both playing the wedding over and over again. It's even on the local news now" Just as Michael finished talking, Charlie came through the front door and into the kitchen.

"Hey, have you guys seen the–"

"YES!" Both Michael and Abby stopped him. Charlie joined his brother at the counter.

"You know how I found out about the wedding." Abby started "I went into the restaurant this morning to do the books and place the food order, when my sous chef screams out of nowhere. I run and see what it is only to find our father on the news, married to the Queen of Genovia."

"Jacob saw it first." Charlie said. "He saw it during breakfast and asked why grandpa was on the news in fancy clothes with a lady." Charlie had to chuckle at his young son's words.

"Andrea saw it before I did." Michael said. "She woke up to feed the baby and decided to watch the news this morning. I must say it's really odd waking up to see your father married on international television."

"I agree, that was a little weird." Charlie added

"This doesn't surprise me really," Abby started. "After the whole 'American Princess Discovery' thing, the world has been watching Genovia like a hawk. Anything that has anything to do with the Princess, the Queen, or anything remotely having the name Genovia attached to it, it's being watched.

"This whole thing with Dad and the Queen was just a matter of time." Charlie stated.

"How so?" Michael asked

"Thing about it." Charlie continued. "Dad has been her personal body guard for almost 30 years, he's seen more things in that palace and with her than anyone else. He is the only person she trusts with her darkest secrets, and not to mention the protection of her life. He is around her and present 24/7 and has seen everything, the absolute best and absolute worst. How could you not go through all that…without forming the bond that they have. I can't blame him for falling in love with her, and her with him."

"I guess your right." Michael said. "I remember at Phillipe's funeral where she broke down at the grave site, and he just held her and let her cry. No employee would do that for their employer unless there was some sort of friendship between them."

"Do you guys remember the summer when we were about 10 and we spend almost the whole summer at the palace because Dad couldn't get us daycare?" Abby asked.

"Yeah I remember that. We spent the whole summer playing with Pierre and Phillipe." Charlie said and smiled. "Those were good times."

"What employer would do that for an employee if they weren't special? Clarisse didn't have to do that for us, she could have left Dad in the lurch to take care of three kids while trying to work full time. That woman has been nothing but kind to us since the day we met her." Abby finished her statement. "You gotta admit, it's kind of adorable. Our father getting married for the first time at almost 60 years old, and to a Queen of all people." Both brothers laughed along with their sister.

"Yeah it is. And now that I think about it, we finally have a mom." Michael said, slightly surprised.

"And a step-brother, and a niece." Charlie finished. They all smiled at the new revelation.

Abby proclaimed that lunch was ready, everyone grabbing an item to bring to the already set table. "I wonder if he will call and tell us." Abby said as she dished up her salad.

"I don't think its 'if', it's 'when'. He's gonna have to tell us, it would be a lot better than us calling him out on it." Michael said

"True, hopefully he calls soon, its getting late over there." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Charlie felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out and looking at the screen, "Guess who?" He showed his siblings the screen, all recognizing their fathers cell phone number.

"Answer it." Abby said. Charlie put the phone down on the table and pressed the speaker button, answering the phone.

"Hello?" Charlie said

"Hello Charlie." Joseph said

"Hi Dad, what a nice surprise. Shouldn't you be in bed, or on duty, it's pretty late over there isn't it?" Michael and Abby were trying to hold back their laughter, knowing Charlie was baiting their father.

"Ha ha." Joseph said than continued. "I actually called because I need to tell you something and I didn't want you to find out from anyone else. Now, please don't tell Michael and Abby yet, they deserve to hear it from me."

"Well its a good thing you want to tell them yourselves because they are right here with me."

"Hey Dad." Abby said

"Hi" Michael said right after.

On the other end of the phone, Joseph put his hand over the mouth piece and whispered to Clarisse. "All three of them are there." Clarissa gently rubbed his shoulders. Joesph knew but completely forgot about the Elizondo triplet Sunday lunch.

"You can do this darling." She offered, before he brought the phone back to his ear.

"Hello all." Joseph said before continuing. "I need to tell you all something and I didn't want you all to find out from the news or any gossip."

"Why would it be on the news?" Michael asked, baiting his father

"Well…it involves the Queen and myself." Joseph knew it was better to just say it and not try to explain himself now. "We got married this afternoon." Joseph clenched his teeth as he waited for a response.

"You got married today." Charlie started

"To the Queen of Genovia." Annie continued.

"To the Queen of Genovia that happened to be your boss." Charlie finished

"Yes. I know its a lot to take in right now and that's fine. This wasn't planned at all, this was very last minute and out of the blue. I know it sounds weird but we have been very good friends for many years and we just…fell in love. And i know the circumstances are unusual–"

"Dad, we get it. It's okay. We all expected it to happen. And honestly we hoped it would." Annie stated. Joseph continued to listen in disbelief at the sincerity of his children.

"We are really happy for you. You've been alone for so long now and we want you to be happy. We are glad you found it in Clarisse, She's amazing and has been so good to you, and to us. You have done so much for us, but now it's your time, you deserve it." Charlie said with sincerity.

Joseph couldn't stop the tear that fell from his eye. Having his children's approval meant more than anything. He knew he could count on them for support, and having their blessing made his heart swell with love for them.

"Thank you, I really appreciate it. And I love you all so much." Joseph stated.

"No problem Dad, we love you too. Now shouldn't you be with your wife?" Charlie asked.

"Bye Dad, say hello to Mom for us." Annie quipped then quickly hung up the phone, the three siblings laughing as they returned to their meal.

 _~Please R &R. Any questions, comments, concerns. What do y'all thing? A special shout out to WildMeiLing for the review on the previous chapter. You hit what I was going for right on the nail head. And I'm greatful that what I was going for is actually coming through. I hope the little introduction of Joseph's children was well done. There will be more coming, that I can gaurentee you. I've been debating for a long time where to stick this scene. I hope I was able to inject a little comedy into all this romance. Thanks -S~_


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: Princess Diaries does not belong to me. And I'm not making money off of it._

Back in Genovia…

Joseph had closed the phone and set it on the coffee table in front of him. Another tear slipped from his eye, Abby had called Clarisse "Mom" He always thought it would be hard for them to accept anyone as his wife or even girlfriend, especially Abby. After having grown up without a mother, he always thought she would be the hardest to adapt. When she was younger she was quite possessive of her father, and still continues to be. And the fact that she had called Clarisse "Mom", was a wonderful thing.

"What did they say?" Clarisse asked, genuinely curious.

"They said they were happy for us, and that I deserve this. They said it was time for me to be happy with you." Her hand gently came up to wipe a tear from his eye. He took her hand and placed a kiss on her palm before he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her close, and kissed her.

The kiss started off gentle, Joseph lightly teasing her lips as his hands roamed her sides. Her hands had gone up his shoulders, gently roaming and caressing the nape of his neck. He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, his tongue seeking entrance. She was practically straddling his lap at this point. Realization dawned on her how close their bodies were at this point. Feeling how close they physically were made her hands dig into his shoulders and her body tense under his hands. He felt this and broke the kiss.

"Darling I don't want this to be tense for you. It should come naturally, not be forced." he said lovingly

"I'm sorry Joseph, his whole situation has never happened to me before. I'm afraid I don't know how to act or what to do. I want this, I really do. I just don't know how to let it all go." She caressed his cheek. He knew she needed to let her inhibitions go and calm down. He stood up and stretched his hand out for her to take.

"Let's get changed out of these clothes." She smiled and gladly took his hand, stood up, and walked with him into her dressing room. "I see I'm already moved in." Joseph said upon seeing many of his things.

"Indeed you are. I'm looking forward to sharing everything with you." She smiled then kissed him gently. After they broke the kiss, Joseph guided her to the seat in front of her vanity. Sitting her down in front of the mirror, she watched as he gently kissed her neck than proceeded to undo the clasp of her necklace. Her earrings came next, then after, the tiara on her head. If Joseph would have had the skill and the patience, he probably would have picked every bobby pin out of her hair to free it from the extension. He wanted nothing more for her hair to be free and to be able to run his fingers through the beautiful golden strands.

As Clarisse worked on the pins in her hair, Joseph went around the room observing his belongings. Not many were put away yet. He assumed part of Clarisse's closet space would have to be cleared out and allocated to him. He easily found a box in the corner chair with his socks and underwear, and another box on the floor with undershirts and work out clothes. Easily finding what he needed, he went back to his wife.

"I'll be in the bedroom changing." He kissed her shoulder again before departing the room.

"Wait" she called out before he left. She quickly rushed into the bedroom and snagged her nightgown off of the bed. Before she made it back into the dressing room, Joseph snagged her hand and pulled her back, pulling her into a deep kiss. Upon letting her go he said. "Don't take to long" he smiled. She smiled back before closing the door.

Joseph was able to change quickly and now paced back and forth in the bedroom, clad in his robe and black boxers, bare chested underneath the robe. It took Clarisse a little longer to change than Joseph had liked. But he knew the wait would be well with it.

Inside the dressing room, Clarisse stood at the door, praying that Joseph will like what he sees. _I want this, I love him, I want to be with him,_ she told herself, before opening the door and stepping out into the bedroom.

 _~Please R &R. Sorry I haven't updated in a long time. I had some family stuff happen and had to put this on hold. Let me know what you think. Chapter 8 is almost done. Lovings are coming, I guarantee it. -S~_


	8. UPDATE

UPDATE:

I have not abandoned you!

I apologize for being so absent from the scene. School has taken over my life as of late. its been demanding all of my extra attention as I prepare my final portfolio and tie up loose ends. Once school is out, I plan to get right back into the thick of this story. It's always on my mind and I have some big plans in store. Please bear with me.

I love you all and thank you so much for being so patient with me.

~S


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: Princess Diaries does not belong to me. And I'm not making money off of it._

Chapter 8

When he heard the door open, he stopped pacing and looked. His jaw went slack and his eyes glazed over as he saw his angel standing in the doorway, clad in a beautiful cream silk night gown. The gown stopped at about her knees, with a slit cut in the the side to allow a glimpse of her thigh. Beautiful lace accented her breasts along with the hem of the gown.

"Do you like it?" She asked. "I mean…is it too frilly or—" She was interrupted when Joseph took her into his arms and kissed her with abandon. She was so beautiful, and so sexy. He didn't know how he was able to resist her for so long. His hands found the bare skin of her back and relished it, gently running his hands up and down her spine, sending shivers through her body.

"Beautiful, so beautiful." he said while placing kisses on her bare shoulder. "Absolutely stunning." He kissed her on the shoulder a couple more times before whispering in her ear, "dance with me, my love."

He gently took her in his arms and started to move to the ambient piano music playing in the background. She placed one of her hands on his chest and rested her head on his shoulder, her nose pressed into his neck, to be as close to him as humanly possible. They gently swayed to the music, holding each other close, as to never let each other go again.

As the song finished and the next one started, Clarisse raised her head off of Joseph's shoulder and brought her face to his. Her hand came up to cup his cheek and his eyes connected with hers. Her thumb ran over her husband's lips, "I love you…so much" she whispered. "I cant believe I almost lost you, I feel like such a fucking idiot." Joseph smiled at his wife's tendency to use colorful words in private when she was angry or upset.

"You're not the only idiot around here, trust me. If it helps, I feel like a bigger one, for thinking that that one moment in time would define our whole relationship," he gently kissed her forehead. "I've never had a more bigger regret than walking away from you that night. I knew in the back of my mind that what you were saying was the way it had to be for now, it's been this way for years and I was content with waiting till all of the chaos died down. But I let my anger and frustration get the better of me." He leaned his forehead against hers and continued, "I am so sorry, so, so sorry." His hands were clutching at her sides, trying to keep his self anger at bay. He was still kicking himself in the backside for what happened.

"I am sorry too, more sorry than anything else I've ever done in my life. But out of everything that has happened, we made it through, together. We are together." she paused and her tone turned serious. "We got married today." she whispered as her face moved closer to his.

"We got married today." he whispered back. "Your my wife…" he said, than let out a sign of relief. "And you're wearing my ring," he smiled at her.

"Yes I am, my husband," she said before she pulled his lips back to hers.

Realization had dawned on them that there were no more boundaries between them, physical, legal, or otherwise. Joseph kissed her with intent, passion, and heat, and Clarisse kissed him right back. In the haziness of kisses and caresses, Clarisse had gotten Joseph's robe untied and free from his body, letting it fall to the floor.

Both drunk on endorphins, he has placed his hands on her hips and pulled her closer, their bodies flush with each other. His hands started to bunch in the fabric of the nightgown, slowly working his hands underneath to the bare flesh of her thighs. Her hands flung around his neck, keeping him as close as possible.

The feel of her skin was incredible, soft and smooth. "Oh God," she broke away from the kiss and moaned while trying to catch her breath. His mouth automatically latched onto her neck as his hands continued to caress. They had eventually worked their way higher to find that she had nothing on under the nightgown. "Oh god," he reciprocated as he cupped her beautifully rounded backside in both hands. Her hands went to his head and pulled him away from her neck to look into his eyes. He was panting from his exhausted effort, his eyes dark with desire. She looked into his eyes and said, "Take me to bed, my husband." And he did just that. His hands cupped her backside and lifted her off of the ground, her legs circling his torso as he carried her to the bed.

She easily crawled onto the bed, pulling her husband onto the bed with her. Joseph's hands remained on her hips under the gown as he crawled onto the bed next to her. Clarisse guided his mouth back to hers in a ravaging kiss. His hands started to work her gown up, but he stopped before exposing her completely. Joseph took a moment to observe his wife, asking for permission. Her breathing was ragged and her heart was beating ten fold. She looked into his eyes, and saw nothing but the love and the desire he held for her.

"Yes" she said, and he moved the gown up, over her head and onto the floor. Joseph finally looked at her exposed body for the first time. She was the most beautiful woman in the world, according to him. And he would treat her as such every day for the rest of his life. Clarisse watched him as he looked at her, his eyes turned a deep, dark, blue as he trailed his hand down the valley between her breasts. Her skin so soft and supple, he cupped one of her breasts, holding it in his hand, feeling the perfect fit, before he leaned down and took her pebbled nipple into his mouth, feasting on her delicate curves. A wave of sensation washed over her, having never felt this way before, she let her head fall back and let out a moan. The feeling of his mouth on an intimate part of her body was absolutely wonderful to her, and she never wanted it to stop.

After giving sufficient attention to her other breast, he starting plant kisses on her bare skin, working from the valley between her breasts down to her stomach, kissing the line where her panties would sit, just up from her curls. He stopped short of going any farther south, as much as he wanted to he didn't want to scare her, he had little to no knowledge about his new wife's sexual experiences, she never offered and out of respect he never asked. He would have plenty of more times in their life together to do what he really wanted with her, but right now he had a one track mind. Her smell was overpowering, almost like a drug, and the more he took in her scent the more his arousal kicked up, and the confines of his boxers became tighter and tighter.

Clarisse put one hand under his chin and raised his head, his eyes had glazed over but she could still see a sliver of control left. She pulled his face back up to hers and slammed her lips into his, her hands finding purchase at his hips, his hands landing on top of hers as she worked his boxers down over his thighs, and with a few quick maneuvers they were completely off and on the floor.

Clarisse took a moment to look him over and he had done her, he was most certainly all man, broad shoulders and well defines pectorals, well defined abs and thighs from all the years of jogging and weight lifting, and a well defined member that certainly was ready for the current task at hand.

She wrapped one of her legs around his hips, pulling him closer until skin met skin, and his silken steel met her delicate flesh. He kissed her soundly. "Close your eyes," he whispered. "You are everything I've ever wanted," he whispered into her ear before placing a kiss just behind it. "Let go and feel." And with that, he entered her.

Never in her life had she felt so complete as when Joseph buried himself inside her. A wave of sensation ricocheted through her body and she let out a deep moan. Neither moved for several seconds, taking the time to just be present in the moment and feel.

After a bit, Joseph started to move, slow at first, getting his bearings and watching her how she responded and adjusted. Her breathing had increased and she looked into his eyes and nodded, letting him know it was okay to continue. He increased his pace. They made love as if they had all the time in the world. Each rock of his hips, flex of his muscles under her hands, and each caress of his fingers on her skin, sent them both closer and closer to a precipice that neither was sure they would survive.

Everything inside of him was coiling, tightening, and building. He needed what only she could give him. His thrusts increased in depth and strength. She could no longer suppress her vocal adorations as a number of 'Yes's' and 'Oh God's' came from her mouth. She felt her core twisting and tightening, something she had never felt before. Her nerve endings were on fire, she swore she could feel absolutely everything around her, including the microscopic droplets of sweat on her skin.

And in all of one second, everything exploded around her. "Clarisse," he whispered into her neck as he thrust one last forceful time. And everything shattered. Clarisse arched against him, screaming his name as her orgasm overtook her. She felt herself clench and grip him in the most intimate way possible, and that sent him over the edge. Clenching the pillow underneath her head with one hand as he loudly groaned her name. It lasted until every ounce of strength was drained from both of their bodies.

Only then did he slump back onto her, she cradled his head against her breast, running her nails though his short hair and over the back of his neck. He kissed the perspiration from her skin and sighed in contentment, sending deep tingles through her body as the muscles deep in her core continued to flutter.

Heart rates slowed as they laid content, still joined, and now officially man and wife.

 _~Please R &R. I am so freakishly sorry that this took almost two years for me to update. I bet I have rewritten this scene over a thousand times and it never seemed right. I just decided that I should just bite the bullet and post what I have. This version I feel very satisfied that it conveys the emotion that I want. I hope you all forgive me and now that I'm over this hump I think it will go a lot smoother. ~S_


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